Levee machine



C. F. WAIT LEVEE MACHINE A ril 4, 1933.

Filed Nov. 9, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m rlm fl/i/zzan I. Wait INVENTOR BYw W ATTORNEYS April 4, 1933. c. F. WAIT 1,903,399

LEVEE MACHINE Filed Nov. 9, 1931 2 Shgets-Sheet 2 g 4 am m: If Wbz'z IINVENTOR ATTORN EY$ Patented Apr. 4, 1933 UNITED STATES CLINTON IE.WAIT, 0F PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS LEVEE MACHINE Application filed November9, 1931. Serial No. 573,991.

My invention relates to improvements in levee machines of the towerdragline type, and it. consists in the combinations, constructions, andarrangements herein described and claimed.

An'object of my invention is to provide a novel sled type bucket whichmay be tilted and Otherwise operated by remote control.

A further object is to provide novel means in a device of the typedescribed which will prevent the bucket from capsizing when inoperation.

A further object is to provide novel means for holding the actuatinglines out of engagement'with the ground;

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following.specification, and the novel features of the invention will beparticular- 1y pointed out in the appended. claims- My invention isillustrated in the accom: panying drawings, forming part of thisapplication, in which Figure 1 is an elevational view of. my inventionas usedin constructing levees,

Figure 2 is an elevational view. of my invention as in operation,

Figure 3 is an elevational view showing the bucket and its associatedmechanism during the digging operation,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the bucke and associated mechanism,and

Figure 5 is an elevational view showing the bucket and associatedmechanism subsequent to the digging operation.

In carryingout my invention, I provide an operating tower or derrick 1and an anchor tower 2. The anchor tower 2 is normally positioned at adistancefrom the actuating tow: er 1. Both of said towers are, however,transportable by reason of the fact thatthey may be mounted on anysuitable transporting means such as Caterpillar tracks 3.. The operatingtower 1 is of much greater height than the anchor tower 2 for thereasons hereinafter described and is positioned adjacent the locationwhere. the levee is to be built. The tower 1 is provided with a housing4 in which an operating mechanism or. machinery is disposed. Asupporting line or cable 5 is operatively associated with the operatingmechanism in the housing 4 and extends over a wheel 6 mounted on the topof the operating tower 1 from whence it extends to the anchor tower 2.The supporting line 5 extends over a wheel 7 rotatably mounted on theanchor tower 2 and is operatively connected withmachinery disposedwithin the housing 8 ofsaid anchor tower. Y

As shown in Figure 4. I further provide a bucket or receptacle 9 havingan end wall 10, side walls 11, and abottom wall 12'. The top and an endof the receptacle are open as shown in Figure 4. The bottom Wa1ly12 isprovided with a projecting-portion 13 which is positioned at an anglewith respect to said bottom wall. The side walls 11 are also providedwith projecting portions 14 which are connected with the projectingportion 13 and serve as means for reinforcing the same. The projectingportion 13 functions as a scoop or shovel as will behereinafterdescribed. Each of the side walls 11. is provided with a lug15 fixedly connected therewith and a projecting lug or flange portion 16connected with the top edge thereof. A carriage 17 ismovably mounted onthe supporting line 5 by means of wheels 18 mounted on the carriageandtraveling on the supporting line 5.

A supporting chain or link means 19 is pivotally connected with thecarriage 17 by 30 means of a pin 20 and is connected with a pair of.diverging link portions 21 which in turn are connected with the lugs 15.A spacing member 22 is disposed between the divergingmembers 21 forholding the same in a definite spaced-apart relationship. An actuatingline or cable 23 has one end pivotally connected with the carriage 17 bymeans of a pin-24 and extends over-a wheel or pulley 25 rotatablymountedon the operating tower 1 from which it extends to al rotatable-drum 26on which it is wound, said drum being carried by the operating towerandoperatively associated with the operating mechanism disposed within thehousing 4. A spacertrolley 27 comprises a pair of spaced-apart wheelcarrying elements 28 and 29 on'which are'respectiv'ely' mounted wheels30 and 31. The Wheel 30 travels on the supporting line5 and the wheel 31travels on the actuating cable 23'.

ber 32 connected'with the wheel carrying elements 28 and 29.

A depending link means 33 has one end pivotally connected with the wheelcarrying element 29 and the other end connected with a connecting member34. A draft line or pull ing cable 35 has one end connected with theconnecting member 34 and extends over a pulley wheel 36 mounted on the,derrick 1. The draft line cable is wound on a drum 37 rotatably mountedon the derrick l and operatively associated with the mechanism disposedwithin the housing 4. A pair of draft members or link elements 38isprovided for connecting the flange members 39 mounted on thereceptacle 9 with the connecting member 34.

A pair. of telescoping arms 40 is connected with the oppositeSi-Ydesllof the bucket 9 and the respective draft members 38. Each arm 40comprises a female arm portion 41 having an end connected with a side ofthe casing and a male arm portion 42 having an end connected with adraft member 38. The male arm portioniss'lidably disposed the femalearmportion and is provided with a lug 43 extending through a slot 44 inthe female member for limiting the movement-of said male arm portionrelative to the female arm portion. I f

A cable supporting trolley 45 is provided comprising aYsupporting member46 and a supported member 47. A tie member 48 is provided for connectingthe supported memher with the supporting member. A supporting wheel 48is rotatably mounted on the supporting member46 and travels on thesupporting cable 5..

Spaced-apart supported wheels 49 and 50 are rotatably mounted on thesupported member 47 and are adapted for respectively supporting theactuating cable and the landing cable beneath which said wheels are positioned. A tie or anchor line 51 is'connected with the cable'supportingtrolley 45 and the operating tower 1. The cable supporting trolley maybe anchored to the tower at any suitable distance therefrom. A number ofthese cable supporting trolleys may be utilized depending on the lengthof span of the supporting line 5. o

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood.

lVhen it is desired that dirt be: piled up for constructing a levee theoperating tower is first position adjacent the location where the dirtis to be piled and the anchor tower is positioned at a distancetherefrom. The bucket 9; is first positioned adjacent the anchor tower 2and the tension on the supporting line 5 is released whereby the bucketmay be disposed on the surface of the ground,

26 is then rotated sufficiently for exerting enough tension on theactuating line 23 for moving the trolley carriage 17 to theposi- 1 tionshown in Figure 3 relative to the bucket 9. When the trolley'carriage 17is moved to the position shown in Figure 3, the spacing member 22engages the lugs 16 of the bucket thereby tilting the bucket to theposition shown in Figure 3, at which time the scoop or shovel portion 52of the bucket will be in its digging position with respect to theground. The drums 26 and 37 are then rotated at the same rate ofspeed,provided that they are of the same size, so that the carriage 17and the bucket 9 move at the same rate of speed thereby holding thebucket in its tilted position and causing the same to be filled with thematerial which it scoops from the ground. When the bucket has beenpulled along the ground a sufficient distance to enable it to becomefilled with material, the tension on the actuating line 23 istemporarily released, at which time the bucket assumes the position withrespect to the trolley carriage 17 as shown in Figures 2, 4, and 5,whereby the shovel portion 52 will be moved out of engagement with theground so that as the bucket member continues its movementalong theground it will not continue to load itself with material. i I

The bucket is of. the sled-runner type in that the cutting edge of thescoop portion is positioned above the bottom of the bucket. When thebucket is pulled to the position where it is desired that the load bedumped power is applied to the supporting line 5 for tensioning the samewhereby the bucket may be lifted from the ground. The tension on theactuating line 23 and the draft line 35 is then released. whereby thebucket may drop to the position9a for dumping its load 3 as shown inFigure 2. It will also be noted that the track line 5, when in tension,is positioned at 5a. It will also be noted that when the track line 5 isunder tension that the cable supporting trolley 45 is positioned at 45a.Thus it will be seen that the cable.

trolley 45, together with the spacer trolley 27. serves to keep theactuating and draft cables, together with the draft members 38, out ofengagement with the ground regardless of the position of said bucket.lVhenthe bucket has dumped its load the drums 26 and 37 are rotated forslackening the actuating cable 23 and the draft cable 35 for permittion52 thereof should engage an obstacle such as a large rock. Thetelescopic arms also aid in positioning the bucket at the proper anglewith respect to the ground for the digging operation.

The arms 410 permit the bucket to be manipulated without hindrance.

I claim:

1. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a pair of spaced apartelevated sup ports, a power means associated with one of the supports, asupporting line extending between the supports and operativelyassociated with the power means, a carriage movably carried by thesupporting line, a carriage drawline connected with the carriage andoperatively associated with the power means, a bucket, a suspensionmeans for movably connecting the bucket with the carriage,

draw means connected with an end of the bucket, a dragline connectedwith the draw means and operatively associated with the power means, anda spacing trolley connected with the draw means and operativelyassociated with the supporting line and carriage drawline for holdingsaid lines in spaced apart relationship.

2. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a pair of spaced apartelevated supports, a power means associated with one of the supports, asupporting line extending between the supports and operativelyassociated with the power means, a carriage movably carried by thesupporting line, a carriage drawline connected with the carriage andoperatively associated with the power means, a bucket, a suspensionmeans for movably connecting the bucket with the carriage, draw meansconnected with an end of the bucket, a dragline connected with the drawmeans and operatively associated with the power means, a spacing trolleyconnected with the draw means and operatively associated with thesupporting line and carriage drawline for holding said lines in spacedapart relationship, an auxiliary trolley movably suspended from thesupporting line, and a tie line connecting the auxiliary trolley withone of the elevated supports, said auxiliary trolley being operativelyassociated with the carriage drawline and the dragline for supportingthe same in spaced apart positions.

3. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a carriage, a bucket,a pair of spaced apart suspension means connected with the carriage andopposed sides of the bucket, a pair of spaced apart draw means connectedwith the opposed sides of the bucket and connected with a dragline, apair of telescopic arms connected with each of the opposed sides of thebucket and the draw means, each of said telescopic arms comprising afemale arm portion and a male arm portion, one of said arm portionsbeing movably connected .with the bucket and the other iting-themovements thereof with respect to r the other arm portion. V

4. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a carriage, a bucket,a pair of spaced apart suspension means connected with the carriage andopposed sides of the bucket, a pair of spaced apart draw means connectedwith the opposed sides of the bucket and connectedwith a dragline, apair of telescopic arms connected with each of the-opposed sides of thebucket and the draw means, each of said telescopic arms comprising afemale arm portion and a male arm portion, one of said arm portionsbeing movably connected with the bucket and the other of said armportions being movably connected with the draw means, and meansconnected with one of the arm portions for limiting the movementsthereof with respect to the other arm portion, said bucket beingprovidedwith upwardly extending lug portions and a cross bar memberpositioned between and connected with the suspension means and adaptedfor engagement with the lug portions. t

5. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a carriage, a bucket,a pair of spaced apart suspension means connected with the carriage andopposed sides of the bucket, a pair of spaced apart draw means connectedwith the opposed sides of the bucket and connected with a dragline, apair of telescopic arms connected with each of the opposed sides of thebucket and the draw means, each of said telescopic arms comprising afemale arm portion and a male arm portion, one of said arm portionsbeing movably connected with the bucket and the other of said armportions being movably connect-, ed with the draw means, one'of said armportions being provided with a slotted opening therein, and a pinfixedly connected with the other arm portion and extending through theopening'for limiting the movement of said arm portion with respect tothe other arm portion.

6. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a bucket, draw meansconnected with the bucket, an arm connected with the bucket and the drawmeans and comprising a pair of arm portions slidable longitudinally withrespect to'each other, one ofsaid arm portions being connected with thebucket and the other of said arm portions being connected with the drawmeans, and means associated with the arm portions for limiting thelongitudinal movements thereof with respect to each other.

7. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a carriage, a bucket,a pair of spaced-apart suspension means connected with the carriage andopposed sides of the bucket, said bucket having said opposed sidesprovided with lug portions, and a spacing member positioned between andconnected with the suspension means and adapted for engaging the lugportions when the bucket is disposed in certain positions with respectto the carriage.

8. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of a'pair of spaced apartelevated supports, a power means associated with one of the supports, asupporting line extending between the supports andoperatively'associated with thepower means, a carriage movably carriedby the supporting line, a carriage drawline connected with the carriageand operatively associated with the power means, a bucket, a suspensionmeans for movably connecting the bucket with the carriage, draw meansconnected with an end of the bucket, a dragline connected with the drawmeans and operatively associated with the power means, a spacing trolleysuspended from the supporting line and connected with one of theelevated supports, said trolley being peratively associated with thecarriage drawline and the dragline for supporting the same in spacedapart positions.

CLINTON F. WAIT.

